What Is Sperm Motility?


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When we think about male-factor infertility, there are three primary problems that can occur. These include a low sperm count, low sperm motility, and abnormal sperm. While many men may have heard of having a low sperm count, many may not be familiar with what sperm motility is, or know how it can be addressed.

Sperm motility is a term that refers to the way that sperm moves forward, through the reproductive tract toward the fallopian tubes where it can fertilize an egg. Sperm have to be able to find their target, so to speak. If a man’s sperm are not moving forward, they cannot achieve their purpose. Some sperm may swim, but not swim forward. Others may swim slower than what they need to. If you are having trouble trying to conceive, your health care provider will want to check your sperm motility. Your health care provider will measure your sperm motility in terms of a percentage. This is the percentage of sperm that are motile, or that are able to move forward. Normal sperm motility should generally be at least 50 percent for a man to be able to conceive.

A number of things can cause problems with sperm motility. First, if the sperm are exposed to extreme heat, such as occurs when a man has a varicocele, the sperm can be hindered in terms of their mobility. In addition, if sexual activity is prolonged, sperm motility may be reduced also. Ironically, the ejaculation right after prolonged sexual activity tends to have less sperm motility. The ejaculation following that one, however, tends to have an improved level of sperm motility.

There are some things that can be done to help with sperm motility. There are supplements available that many men have had success with. There are, occasionally, medical answers, such as removing a varicocele. Unfortunately, not all of these solutions will work for every man who has a problem with sperm motility. For many men with low sperm motility, procedures such as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injections (ICSI) may be the only ways that a man who has low sperm motility will be able to successfully conceive.



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